Adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells: which one works?

There are two kinds of stem-cell research. The first kind is called embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR). This kind is opposed by pro-lifers because it kills unborn persons by extracting their stem cells for use in medical research. The second kind is called adult stem-cell research (ASCR). This kind is supported by pro-lifers.

Which kind produces more scientific discoveries and new treatments?

Well, consider: this article: from Yahoo News which describes a new treatment made possible by ethical adult stem cell research.

Excerpt:

Scientists have for the first time succeeded in taking: skin cells: from patients with: heart failure: and transforming them into healthy, beating heart tissue that could one day be used to treat the condition.

The researchers, based in: Haifa, Israel, said there were still many years of testing and refining ahead. But the results meant they might eventually be able to reprogram patients’ cells to repair their own damaged hearts.

“We have shown that it’s possible to take skin cells from an elderly patient with advanced heart failure and end up with his own beating cells in a laboratory dish that are healthy and young – the equivalent to the stage of his heart cells when he was just born,” said: Lior Gepstein: from the: Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, who led the work.

The researchers, whose study was published in the European Heart Journal on Wednesday, said clinical trials of the technique could begin within 10 years.

Organ replacement regenerative therapy is purported to enable the replacement of organs damaged by disease, injury or aging in the foreseeable future. A research group led by Professor Takashi Tsuji (Professor in the Research Institute for Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, and Director of Organ Technologies Inc.) has provided a proof-of-concept for bioengineered organ replacement as a next stage of regenerative therapy.

Reporting in: Nature Communications: the group demonstrate that bioengineered hair follicle germ reconstructed from adult epithelial stem cells and dermal papilla cells can regenerate fully functional hair follicle and hair growth. Their bioengineered follicles showed restored hair cycles and piloerection through the rearrangement of follicular stem cells and their niches. The bioengineered hair follicle also developed the correct structures and formed proper connections with surrounding host tissues such as the epidermis, arrector pili muscle and nerve fibers.

These individual cases show the overall trend in stem cell research. ESCR is supported by Democrats,: but it is ineffective: – which is why: biotech companies like Geron have abandoned it.: Nevertheless, Obama has: pushed millions of taxpayer dollars: into embryonic stem cell research, and is still pushing for more ESCR. The politics is driving the science — just like with his global warming alarmism and alternative energy funding.